Constellations ° Assemblies: Pushing for Spatial Justice

Constellations ° Assemblies is a series of three online events involving a range of UK and international speakers.

A Right to Decide: Empowering Children to Shape Cultural Space

6 May 2026, 14:00 – 15:15 BST

A Right to Decide: Empowering Children to Shape Cultural Space is the third in a series of three Constellations ° Assemblies, curated by UP Projects, exploring spatial justice and the role that art and artists can play in advocating for more inclusive cities.

The event will feature case studies and speakers from two Child Friendly Cities: Helsinki, Finland, the first Nordic city recognised by UNICEF in 2024, and Nottingham, UK, which is a candidate for official recognition as a Child Friendly City. Through this conversation, we will explore how artists, commissioners and institutions can work more equitably with children to ensure their voices, needs and priorities are integrated into public policies, programmes and decision-making.

Pirjetta Mulari, Chief of Children’s Culture for Helsinki and Director of Annantalo Arts Centre, will talk about Helsinki’s Child Friendly City Status and initiatives for Culture in the city. Sanni Priha of Toisissa Tiloissa collective will showcase Rhizome, a project commissioned by the HAM Helsinki Art Museum with schoolchildren at the Tehtaankatu elementary school in Helsinki (2020 – 2023).

Cathy Mahmood, ChalleNGe Manager in Nottingham, will talk about Nottingham’s ChalleNGe initiative and the steps they’re taking towards becoming a Child Friendly City. Rebecca Beinart, Collaborative Programme Lead at PRIMARY in Nottingham, will talk about Build, Create, Play, a project working with local families and young people around Ronald Street Playground in Radford (2019 – 2024).

The event will be moderated by Manijeh Verghese, CEO (Open City).

Constellations ° Assemblies is a series of online events involving a cohort of pioneering UK and international speakers and open to all artists, curators, practitioners, commissioners, communities, and those working across public art, social practice and regeneration.

Taking place between June 2025 and May 2026, UP Projects’ latest Constellations ° Assemblies programme will explore spatial justice and the role that art and artists can play in advocating for more inclusive cities. The programme will explore ideas about who has rights in the development of public spaces and highlights the importance of community voices in determining whose rights and what rights are centred in urban development narratives.

Assemblies will be accessed via UP Projects’ digital participation space, The Hall, and will take place on Zoom.

To enable access to this high-quality programme, UP Projects operates “Pay What You Can” ticketing for Assemblies, with a suggested donation of £5 per event. You can book by entering a minimum of £1. Your registration for the event is a donated amount. Your donation allows us to continue to keep delivering the programme as an ongoing learning and development programme. Refunds will only be issued if the event is cancelled.

Online resources will be produced as part of the Constellations ° Assemblies programme and hosted on UP Projects’ Resource Library. These will include accessible event recordings with BSL interpretation and captions along with full event transcripts.

Constellations ° Assemblies are curated by UP Projects and supported by Arts Council England.

Accessibility

Live captioning and British Sign Language interpretation will be available during all Constellations ° Assemblies. If you have any specific access needs, please email constellations@upprojects.com in advance of the event, and we will assist where possible. Alternative interpretation and access needs are generously supported by Arts Council England.